North and Central regions continue to be in grip of heat wave

There has been no relief from heat wave in North and Central regions of the country even as the Monsoon advanced in the southern state of Kerala yesterday. Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan was the hottest place in the country at 48.5 degrees Celsius. Churu and Kota districts of the state followed close behind, recording a maximum temperature of 48.3 degrees Celsius each.

In Delhi, the maximum temperature settled at 43.8 degrees Celsius, four notches above the season's average. Narnaul in Haryana settled at 47 degrees, four notches above normal, while Bhiwani sizzled at 45.9 degrees, and Hisar at 45.3 degrees Celsius.n Punjab, Amritsar recorded 44 degrees, four notches above normal. 

In Uttar Pradesh, mercury in most of the places hovered around 44 degrees Celsius. Banda was the hottest place in the state with 48 degrees celsius, five notches above the normal. Allahabad recorded 47.7 degrees and Jhansi 47.5 degrees. The high temperature has badly affected normal life in the state. A large number of heat stroke, skin burn and dehydration cases have been reported at different hospitals. Incidents of fire due to high temperatures  have also increased.

 

Jammu also reeled under heat wave, recording a high of 43.1 degrees Celsius, while in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh heatwave conditions prevailed, despite rains in isolated parts on Saturday evening.

In Madhya Pradesh, the maximum 48 degree temperature was recorded in Khajuraho and Naogaon. State capital Bhopal sizzled at 45.7 degrees, and Gwalior 47.3



degrees. 

‘The MeT department said, the heatwave will prevail in north and central India this week, and predicted severe heatwave in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan over the next two days.

 

Maharashtra experienced pre-monsoon showers in various parts yesterday giving respite from scorching heat. The showers hit hilly regions of Satara district, slowing down traffic on National Highway connecting Mumbai and Bengaluru. The MeT department said, some parts of Aurangabad and Jalna received showers accompanied by thunderstorms. Pune, Baramati and Indapur towns also experienced rain and lightning.

Shirdi in Ahmednagar district received heavy showers along with gusty winds and lightning. The pre-monsoon showers led to power outages in some parts of the state, trees were uprooted and houses were damaged in rural areas.

 

In Kerala, there was moderate rain at several parts of the state yesterday, a day after Monsoon arrived, even as a low pressure area formed over the Arabian Sea. The MeT department said the low pressure was expected to intensify into a depression in the next two days and subsequently, into a cyclone.

After a delay of a week, the monsoon hit the Kerala coast on Saturday, marking the official commencement of the four-month rainfall season in the country. This has also delayed its arrival in different parts of the country. The MeT department said, a delay in the arrival of Monsoon has pushed the country's rainfall deficiency in the first nine days of June to 45 per cent.